Feeding the Fire
by thorki-is-weird
Summary: Dax is wandering around, as usual when something completely unusual happens. He finds another Shapeshifter. Tessa. Has the true eleven become the true twelve and are other's powers really starting to come back, or is it just a fluke?


The woods lashed down with rain, so fierce that it actually stung Dax as it collided with his skin. His dark red, fox fur absorbed most of the impact, but he could still feel it's needle-like sting on his few exposed body parts. None-the-less, it was better than being cooped up and he breathed in the cool, night air smelling strongly of rain. He sniffed in the air, when a new smell reached them. It stank of fear, cat, dirt and very faintly... was that... girl's deodorant? A dark shape shot past him, the smell on its fur. Suddenly it stopped. It turned around slowly, amber eyes glinting in the darkness. It stalked forwards, tail bristling.  
_Please tell me you are what I think you are._ It whispered in his mind.  
Dax paused, quickly shifted to human form and back again.  
_This what you think I am?_ He replied. The Wildcat lowered it's tail, which had slowly decreased in it's size. It swallowed and sat down on the muddy forest floor.  
_I'm Tessa. Hi._ She said in his head, _Do you have any idea what the hell is going on? One minute I was human, at school in the loos and then, I was a cat. Scottish Wildcat to be precise. I mean, WHAT. THE. FISH-CAKES?  
It's hard to explain. I think you should come back to Fenton Lodge, They will explain._ Dax replied. Tessa nodded. He trotted in front and lead the way back to the lodge. Only checking to see if she was following twice.

Tessa sat in the office awkwardly, still a wildcat when Mrs Sartre walked in. She was tall and elegant. Tessa suddenly felt relaxed for no apparent reason.  
"Hello, Tessa." She greeted, with a French lilt to her voice. "I hear that Dax found you in the forest outside."  
Tess nodded, which was as much as she could whilst still being in Wildcat form. Mrs Sartre smiled kindly down at her.  
"I take it you can't shift back?" Tessa shook her head wildly from side to side. Then she let out a huge yawn uncontrollably. Mrs Sartre laughed. "I think," She said with a smile, "That you'd better go to bed. We'll talk in the morning."  
Mrs Sartre opened the door and lead her down the corridor, she gently pushed open a door.  
"This is your room, Mia and Lisa are already inside. Most likely they are asleep." Tessa trotted in daintily, careful not to make a sound. She hopped on to the bottom bunk, circled a nice spot under the covers and fell asleep, purring slightly.

"Why's she still wearing a rucksack?" A loud voice demanded.  
"I don't know, Lisa. But keep your voice down!" Another, quieter and softer voice replied, hissing the last words. "You might wake her up."  
"SO?" Lisa replied rudely.  
"So," Tessa replied groggily turning over to face them. "You're new roommate might not appreciate being woken after 4 hours of sleep." Lisa had the decency to look a little guilty. Mia smiled down at her.  
"Sorry! We didn't mean to wake you. I'm Mia." She said warmly.  
"Tessa." Tessa replied with a grin, sitting up and swinging her legs over the edge of the bunk. Lisa smiled slightly.  
"Lisa." She said. There was a brief silence. Then Lisa blurted out. "Why _are _you wearing a rucksack?" Tessa looked over her shoulder in surprise and shrugged it off.  
"Must have been wearing it when I changed." She answered. Mia frowned at her.  
"When you...changed?" She said slowly, confusion edging into her voice. Tessa laughed and replied.  
"Yeah, I'm a shapeshifter." Lisa sucked in a breath of awe, and grinned broadly. Mia looked at her in surprised glee.  
"Brilliant!" They said together.

Tessa sat down next to Lisa on the opposite side of the table.  
"Tessa, this is Clive. He's the only one of us that ISN'T a Cola, but he's a freaking genius. Barry and Jennifer are glamourists." Lisa introduced quickly. She noticed the frown of confusion on Tessa's face. "He can turn invisible. Spook's a jerk...and an illusionist. Gideon is a tele, he can move stuff with his mind, but it's not _that_ impressive. I mean he's no good at it. Silent boy over there is Luke. Darren is basically a mini me of Spook. Alex and Jacob are a great laugh, they have a telepathic link and can mimic ANYONE." Tessa caught Dax's eye and he turned away quickly. However it wasn't quick enough for Lisa, she grinned evilly. "I take it you've met our resident shapeshifter, Dax Jones." Tessa looked down at her plate and blushed. Mia looked at her reproachingly but Lisa merely grinned wider.  
"Don't be mean Lisa." She reprimanded sternly. Suddenly, Gideon leapt backwards.  
"That's not funny, Spook!" He yelled. Lisa laughed loudly and Mia stifled a smile. Tessa frowned. She craned her neck to see.  
"What is it?" She asked Lisa. Lisa pointed to his plate.  
"Spook's making Gid's breakfast look like a pile of fox poo." She said delicately. Tessa laughed with her. A jug of milk lifted itself up into the air and emptied itself on to Spook's head. Once it was empty it dropped and made a echoing 'plink' as it bounced off Spook's skull. Mia rolled her eyes. She stood up and turned to Tessa.  
"I'm going back to our room, do you want to come?"  
Tessa got up and followed her out the room, Dax watched her as she walked away, her auburn hair dancing across her back.


End file.
